Associated Press

Americans are growing anxious as Congress continues debating whether to raise the government's debt ceiling and under what conditions.

Thousands of voters have been contacting their representatives locally and on Capitol Hill. The Associated Press is reporting that most of those voters say they want Congress to strike a deal ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

Xenia Twp. Residents attended a public meeting with global building materials company, CEMEX, in force Tuesday night to voice concerns over the company's proposed mining project.

At the meeting, CEMEX officials stated the proposed zoning change and limestone mining would not negatively affect area residents. Officials added the rezoning from agricultural land to mineral extraction would be done with limited, licensed blasts and no blasting would take place closer than 500 feet from a home.

The state's advocate for residential utility customers says American Electric Power's proposed rate plan could raise next summer's rates for many Ohio customers by 31 percent.

The office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel said Tuesday that the proposal would shift rates for generating electricity, leaving residential customers paying more in relation to commercial and industrial users. It argues instead for a uniform rate change across all categories.

About 120 post offices in the state are among those being considered for closure by the U.S. Postal Service to save money. The list of offices facing a review includes 11 in Cleveland, six each in Columbus and Dayton, five in Toledo, three in Akron and one in Cincinnati.

Ohioans will be able to vote this November on whether they want to participate in the national health care overhaul.

Secretary of State Jon Husted said Tuesday that opponents to the overhaul collected nearly 427,000 valid signatures to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot. The measure needed roughly 385,000 signatures.

At question is a proposed amendment to Ohio's Constitution to keep people from being required to buy health insurance or face penalties. The federal mandate would go into effect in 2014, when new competitive insurance exchanges are scheduled to open.

Tea party activists in House Speaker John Boehner's district are offering him encouragement in the debt crisis negotiations.

They say they want to show support for Boehner's tough position in the showdown in Washington.

A couple hundred supporters, rallied Monday afternoon in West Chester Township. Boehner and other congressional leaders are working to find agreement on a deficit reduction plan with a stated Aug. 2 deadline

Cincinnati tea party leader Mike Wilson says he and others want Boehner to make sure there are significant federal spending cuts.

Organizers of the annual Vectren Dayton Air Show say attendance was down 15 percent amid the weekend's extreme heat and humidity.

A news release says an estimated 65,000 attended the show.

Officials with the air show said Monday that no other major problems were reported, though on Saturday, the show's general manager said that about a dozen people were treated for dehydration or heat exhaustion.